June 2007 was the beginning of an experience that was ultimately life changing. As a student advocate on campus I have always done much of public engagement through local media outlets. However, being selected for the international seminar in the Burkina Faso gave me the opportunity to explore media in a whole new light. By this I mean, I have always done interviews concerning WUSC as NGO or our local committee activities and executive committee, but this time the interviews were questions that were personal about a very personal experience. This was a very challenging situation for me considering I had always been confident in my media relations skills before returning from West Africa. It was extremely difficult when such simple questions would boggle my mind because they consisted of such complex answers. In retrospect I feel that most of the interviews that were published on my 6 weeks in Burkina Faso lacked the substance of what really was a life altering experience.I have attached a link to an article that was published prior to the seminar and one post seminar experience. Below I have also pasted a small idea of what you may find through the provided links.
Crystal Almeida24 years oldStudent and president of the University of Windsor WUSC local committeeOriginally from Chatham; she now lives in Windsor,Ontario
Crystal Almeida embarked on a journey that changed her life in summer, 2007. After attending Uniterra seminars in Burkina Faso and Ghana, she was chosen to take part in a research assignment on HIV/AIDS in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. She spent six weeks living with a Burkinan family of eight and worked for a local HIV/AIDS organization, the ADIP/S, to research a lack of participation in support groups.“This experience has completely altered my life as a student advocate and my professional development,” says Almeida “The five weeks I spent in this village allowed me to comprehend the severity of this pandemic but most importantly it allowed me to meet the women fighting everyday against a disease that is claiming not only their villages, friends and family but also their dignified lives.” In 2007, Almeida’s local WUSC committee, in cooperation with Uniterra, led a World AIDS Day awareness event followed by a second annual gala dinner. The committee also raised money through Bike for AIDS; most of the funds raised were sent to the WUSC chapter in Burkina Faso. Almeida also played a key role in the ratification of Windsor University's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.“I realized that the experiences in my life have made me a stronger individual with the ability and motivation to help and guide others who face the burden of inequalities in this world,” says Almeida. She is finishing her 4th year in Political Science at the University of Windsor.
Back to Portrait of 8 women >>
Crystal Almeida embarked on a journey that changed her life in summer, 2007. After attending Uniterra seminars in Burkina Faso and Ghana, she was chosen to take part in a research assignment on HIV/AIDS in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. She spent six weeks living with a Burkinan family of eight and worked for a local HIV/AIDS organization, the ADIP/S, to research a lack of participation in support groups.“This experience has completely altered my life as a student advocate and my professional development,” says Almeida “The five weeks I spent in this village allowed me to comprehend the severity of this pandemic but most importantly it allowed me to meet the women fighting everyday against a disease that is claiming not only their villages, friends and family but also their dignified lives.” In 2007, Almeida’s local WUSC committee, in cooperation with Uniterra, led a World AIDS Day awareness event followed by a second annual gala dinner. The committee also raised money through Bike for AIDS; most of the funds raised were sent to the WUSC chapter in Burkina Faso. Almeida also played a key role in the ratification of Windsor University's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals.“I realized that the experiences in my life have made me a stronger individual with the ability and motivation to help and guide others who face the burden of inequalities in this world,” says Almeida. She is finishing her 4th year in Political Science at the University of Windsor.
Back to Portrait of 8 women >>
No comments:
Post a Comment